The Tufts Daily - Monday, March 7, 2022

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INDEPENDENT

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXIII, ISSUE 26

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Monday, March 7, 2022

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Aminé to headline Spring Fling 2022, Tufts student Ella Jane to open

Professors react to Russian war on Ukraine

by Chloe Courtney Bohl and Maeve Hagerty

by Ella Kamm News Editor

Executive News Editor and Executive Arts Editor

Aminé, Bia, Dayglow and Ella Jane will perform at Spring Fling Weekend, which Tufts University Social Collective is hosting April 28 to May 1. Spring Fling Weekend is returning in person this year after a three-year hiatus.

In addition to the Spring Fling Concert on April 30, the weekend will also include an outdoor movie screening on President’s Lawn on April 28 and the Tuftonia’s Day Carnival on April 29.

Students can reserve free tickets to the Spring Fling concert beginning April 19 at 10:30 a.m. Concert tickets cost $30 for graduate and exchange students, faculty and staff. Tickets to the Tuftonia’s Day Carnival are free for the entire Tufts community.

TUSC budgeted $216,675 for Spring Fling, which it plans to partially offset with $24,000 of projected income for a net expense of $192,675. Of that, $126,500 is allocated toward paying talent and talent agents.

COURTESY TUSC

TUSC Spring Fling performers are pictured. From left to right: Ella Jane, Dayglow, Aminé and Bia. Dariush Ghaffari, one of the two TUSC Concert Coordinators, said that student input was a major factor in determining whom to invite to campus. TUSC looked at students’ social media accounts and Spotify Wrapped lists to gauge interests in particular genres and artists. Ghaffari, a senior, said he has already begun to hear positive feedback following the lineup reveal.

“I’m really surprised, in a good way, to see so many positive comments towards it,” he said.

Ghaffari acknowledged that most students have never

experienced an in-person Spring Fling.

“They should keep in mind that it’s more of an experience than they can imagine,” he said.

Ghaffari added that this year’s lineup of four artists is unprecedented for the Spring Fling concert, which normally features just three. The lineup includes Tufts’ own Ella Jane, indie pop artist Dayglow, rising star Bia and notable hip-hop icon Aminé. With such an impressive selection of see SPRING FLING, page 2

Health board lifts mask mandate in Somerville, following Boston and Medford

by Ethan Steinberg News Editor

The Somerville Board of Health voted unanimously on Thursday to end requirements for masking indoors, propelling the city into the next phase of the pandemic and aligning its policy with Medford, Cambridge and other municipalities in the Greater Boston area.

The move comes as new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests over 90% of Americans can shed their masks indoors, up from 70% just over a week ago. Middlesex County, which encompasses Somerville, Medford and Cambridge, is considered by the CDC to be at low risk for transmission.

The Board of Health’s decision on Thursday was to formally repeal the city’s mask mandate, which had been in effect since August 2021 and required individuals two years and older to wear masks in indoor public spaces. With the mandate being lifted, restaurants, fitness centers, supermarkets and other establishments no longer have

to require their patrons to wear masks, though they may continue to do so if they choose.

Masks will still be required on public transport and in health care facilities, per state and federal guidance. The city’s public schools, too, will continue to require masks, though city and school officials are reviewing the current guidance, and a decision on a policy change is due shortly, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne said in a statement after the meeting.

“The good news is that the omicron surge continues to decline, the majority of eligible Somervillians are vaccinated, and mounting research shows that being up to date on your vaccines offers strong protection against serious illness,” Ballantyne said in a statement. “So we will take this next step based on the data, the science, and the guidance, as we continue to help residents who remain without protection to get vaccinated.”

At the Board of Health meeting on Thursday, officials cited recent modifications to federal and state guidance and policy changes in neighboring towns

as some of the factors driving the board’s decision. Medford, Cambridge and Boston had all announced before the Somerville health board meeting that they would end their mask mandates.

Medford’s new mask guidance went into effect in mid-February, while Somerville’s and Boston’s went into effect on Saturday, March 5. Cambridge’s relaxed guidance is set to go into effect on Sunday, March 13.

Boston University and Northeastern shed their mask mandates for most indoor spaces last week, The Boston Globe reported, and Harvard is expected to announce looser restrictions soon, according to the Harvard Crimson.

Infections have dropped precipitously at Tufts in the last two weeks after reaching an alltime high in mid-February, but numbers still exceed pre-omicron averages and students have continued testing positive at a rate higher than in surrounding communities and some nearby schools, such as BU and MIT. see MANDATE, page 2

As Russian forces continue to advance toward the Ukrainian capital, and food shortages, mass migration and fear continue ravaging the country, experts at Tufts spoke with the Daily about the history of the conflict, how the invasion is playing out and what it could mean for the international community going forward.

On Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a “special military operation” in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, the home of two Russian separatist movements, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic.

“Putin believes that controlling Ukraine is crucial to Russian foreign policy and security,” Chris Miller, assistant professor of international history at The Fletcher School, wrote in an email to the Daily. “He also thinks that Ukraine is a country that was created almost by accident and that Ukrainians and Russians are one nation … The goal of the war is to bring Ukraine under Russian control.”

Among Putin’s other justifications of the operation to the public was his claim that Russia’s invasion is a peacekeeping mission, the goal being to “denazify” Ukraine.

“His view of Ukraine is very delusional,” Oxana Shevel, associate professor of political science and president of the American Association of Ukrainian Studies, said. “He invents his own fantasies that the Ukrainians … have been oppressed by a ‘Nazi government,’ and essentially, the idea was that they would welcome the Russians as liberators, and they’ll be in Kyiv in two days. But none of this is happening.”

Miller, who authored a guest essay for The New York Times on Putin’s military strategy, echoed Shevel’s point that Putin grossly miscalculated the perspective of the Ukrainian people.

“My view is that Putin is likely to have played a major role not only in setting the political goals of the operation but also the military operation,” Miller wrote in the email. “The basic assumption behind Russia’s war plan was that Ukraine would hardly resist the Russian invasion at all. This was an absurd assumption that suggests Russia’s leaders have begun to believe their own propaganda.”

Ukraine has responded to the invasion by arming civilians and forming paramilitary groups, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remaining in the cap-

SPORTS / back

FEATURES / page 3

OPINIONS / page 7

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Tufts expands student body, faces challenges

Chris Duyos: 2021 graduation no match for the real thing

ital despite intelligence that he is Russia’s top target. In the face of Russian invaders, Shevel said, Ukraine stands more united than ever before.

“I think Ukrainian resistance and mobilization is really a key factor as long as it remains, and there seems to be no sign that it is subsiding,” she said. “This is really quite unprecedented … Ukraine obviously can’t do it alone. I think the military aid that they’ve been receiving from the West is crucial, and I think as long as that continues, Russia is going to be finding itself in a more and more difficult situation.”

While the Ukrainian response has been far stronger than Russian forces expected, the country has already seen some losses since the start of the invasion.

“Russia’s military operations have been far less successful than the Kremlin hoped,” Miller wrote.

“However, Russia has deployed a powerful force on Ukrainian territory, has seized multiple major Ukrainian cities, especially in the south of the country, and is trying to surround Kyiv and Kharkiv.

So even though the invasion hasn’t gone according to the Kremlin’s plan, it is still achieving some of the goals of seizing Ukraine’s territory.”

The United States’ involvement in the conflict will largely entail diplomatic intervention and the supply of military aid.

“The U.S. has made clear that it will not get directly involved militarily but that it will provide extensive arms supplies to Ukraine,” Miller wrote. “So long as Ukraine’s government is in control of the country’s western border, it will be straightforward for the U.S. and Europe to arm and supply Ukraine.”

Hurst Hunnam, professor emeritus of international law at The Fletcher School, wrote an article for The Conversation, noting the ways in which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violates international law, as well as the barriers the international community faces when it comes to enforcement.

He told the Daily that, like many military powers, Russia has a history of pushing the boundaries of international law, as seen in Crimea and in its support for separatists in Georgia.

“I think that the difference this time is the blatant character of the attack,” Hunnam said. “There’s no excuse, whether humanitarian or others. It’s a full-scale invasion by the Russian army against a sovereign country, not for purposes that anyone can understand except to interfere with its independence see UKRAINE, page 2 NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, March 7, 2022

THE TUFTS DAILY Alexander Janoff Editor in Chief

— EDITORIAL — PERI BAREST SAM RUSSO PHOEBE WONG Senior Editors

ELIZABETH FOSTER KENDALL ROBERTS Associate Editors Chloe Courtney Bohl Executive News Editor Delaney Clarke Executive Features Editor Maeve Hagerty Executive Arts Editor Faye Shen Li Thijssen Executive Opinion Editor Makenna Law Editorial Editor Isaac Karp Executive Sports Editor Alex Viveros Investigative and Science Editor Aaron Klein Executive Audio Producer Mina Terzioglu Kiana Vallo Executive Photo Editors Ty Blitstein Executive Video Editor Michael Wu Executive Graphics Editor

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— BUSINESS — CAMPBELL DEVLIN Business Director Hannah Harris Emily Walker Outreach Coordinators Joe Posthauer Web Manager Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com thetuftsdaily tuftsdaily tuftsdaily

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Tufts Daily sits down with Spring Fling performer Ella Jane SPRING FLING

continued from page 1 performing artists, it is sure to be a highly anticipated event.

The Daily spoke with rising indie bedroom pop artist Ella Jane, known to Tufts students by her real name Ella Roth, for the third time on Sunday to discuss her upcoming performance at Spring Fling. Previously, Roth described the process of signing to her current record label, Fader, from her single dorm room in Carmichael Hall during her first year. With a current total of nearly 660,000 monthly listeners as of press time and more than 16 million listens on Spotify for her most popular track “nothing else i could do” (2020), Roth’s performance is sure to be a highlight of Spring Fling and a homecoming of sorts for the gap-year student.

“This will be the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed to,” the young singer said about Spring Fling in an interview with the Daily on Sunday evening.

“Insane” and “nerve-wracking” were some of the words Roth used to describe her upcoming performance, even as she

expressed excitement to be playing alongside such big names as Dayglow and Aminé.

“It’s funny to me that it’s happening at Tufts,” she said. “It’s just very surreal.”

Roth said coming back to campus felt “very full circle, and very, very strange,” because it has only been about a year since she was last on campus, which she said “is really, really hard for [her] to wrap [her] head around.”

“The fact that I’ll be performing on the Academic Quad, when that same time a year ago I was in French class [there], is really funny,” she said.

Roth expressed that “[she’s] just really excited to see everyone again” when she returns. She laughed about the fact that when her booking agent proposed that she play Spring Fling at Tufts, she said, “I don’t think they knew that I went there.”

Regarding her musical career in the past year away from Tufts, she expressed how much she was enjoying her time spent making music.

“It’s been really nice to have time to do music,” Roth said. “Last

year was really a struggle for me in terms of trying to get my work done and do well, and also make music — and make good music.”

The singer also teased new music.

“I’m currently working on another EP, or project,” Roth said, which gives Tufts students hope that they may be some of the first to hear this new music at her Spring Fling performance.

The rest of the Spring Fling lineup hardly needs any introduction.

Tufts Spring Fling 2017 opener Aminé is returning to campus to headline this year’s concert. From breakout singles like “REEL IT IN” (2018), “Caroline” (2017) and “Spice Girl” (2017) as well as his recent successful album “TWOPOINTFIVE” (2021), Aminé is one of the most original and entertaining hip-hop artists of this generation. With a unique sense of humor that lovingly accompanies his talent for introspective yet hard-hitting tracks, Aminé combines his funky style with his witty lyricism. With hard tracks like “DAPPERDAN” (2018) and “RATCHET SATURN GIRL” (2018) mixing with his sig-

nature fun vibes on songs like “Charmander” (2021) and “NEO” (2021), Aminé’s Spring Fling setlist is sure to amaze.

Sloan Struble, creator of the solo indie pop project Dayglow, is best known for his dreamy, underwater sound, as heard on some of his most famous tracks like “Can I Call You Tonight?” (2019) and “Hot Rod” (2019).

Dayglow’s upbeat 2021 album “Harmony House” promises to be an entertaining feature of Spring Fling. Energetic tracks from the album like retro-sounding “Medicine” and popular “Close To You” are sure to come to life for Tufts students.

Medford native Bia is, of course, most well known for her breakout single “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY” (2020), an exceptionally memorable, forceful track given its slow tempo. The subsequent release of “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY [Remix]” (2021) featuring Nicki Minaj has easily become an essential and is sure to be impactful on the Spring Fling stage.

To anticipate the concert, TUSC has created a Spotify playlist that features the event’s artists.

'This war is a reminder that we can't take our security for granted,' Tufts professor says UKRAINE

continued from page 1 and to protect what Russia seems to think are their security interests.”

According to Hannum, under the United Nations charter, international law supports Ukraine’s right to defend its sovereignty and the right of other nations to come to its aid.

International response, especially from Europe and the United

States, has largely been swift and united in support of Ukraine.

Numerous sanctions have been enacted, including ones against the Russian Central Bank, individual oligarchs and Putin himself. Even the famously neutral Swiss have adopted the European Union’s sanctions against Russia.

Hannum says that the key to making the response effective will hinge on longevity.

“The temptation is going to be to just shake your head and say, ‘There’s nothing more you can do about it,’” he said. “That’s not necessarily going to be the case, but that would be the worry. If the West and others maintain their opposition in one way or another, for instance, by refusing to recognize a new government, that, I think, will be the best we can do, frankly, to keep the legitimacy of international law alive.”

ELIN SHIH / THE TUFTS DAILY

Packard Hall, home to the Department of International Relations, is pictured on March 6.

Boston-area universities begin to loosen COVID-19 restrictions MASKS

continued from page 1 Tufts logged 142 cases among Medford students in the week leading up to Friday, March 4, reflecting a positivity rate of 1.01%. The positivity rate in Somerville over the last two weeks was just over 1.7%, accord-

ing to the most recent data on the city’s dashboard.

In the meeting last week, Somerville’s Director of Health and Human Services Doug Kress said the city had seen a slight uptick in infections in the zip codes affiliated with Tufts. Kress said he spoke with university officials, who

attributed the high caseload to students’ letting their guard down and not wearing masks in residence halls or after being released from isolation in The Mods.

In response to these observations, the school altered its isolation policy last week, sharing in an email to students that

moving forward, individuals will have to remain in isolation for 11 days or until they test negative — whichever comes sooner. The new policy is a reversal from previous guidance, which required students to isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID-19.

on Friday, down from the highest recorded isolation number of 424 on Jan. 24., despite the university’s recording 251 positive cases in the past week. Two thousand five hundred eighty-one COVID19 cases have been reported on the Medford/Somerville campus since the start of the pandemic.

Tufts announced a new “testing-out” policy for COVID-19 positive students in isolation in an email to the Tufts community on Feb. 28. According to the policy, students must test negative on a rapid antigen test on either day five or day seven of isolation to leave quarantine. Those testing positive up until day 7 are required to remain in isolation until day 11. The policy applies to undergraduate and graduate

students living on or off campus and to those isolating in The Mods, designated hotel rooms or off-campus residences. Rapid antigen testing for students isolating in The Mods and in hotel rooms will be performed as part of daily health checks by Brewster Ambulance Service.

Following a unanimous vote by the Medford Board of Health, the city’s indoor mask mandate was lifted on Feb. 16. The policy change comes as COVID-19 cases have starkly declined in the county and the state over the past month. Cases went down by around 5% in Middlesex County and around 26% in Massachusetts over the past week. More locally, Medford saw an almost 51% decrease in COVID-19 numbers

in the week leading up to Feb. 26 while Somerville saw around a 32% decline in positive cases in the week before Mar. 1. Tufts’ booster mandate for all students and faculty members went into effect on Feb. 15. All community members who were eligible to receive a booster shot before Jan. 15 are now required to have uploaded proof of the additional vaccination or documentation of a valid medical or religious exemption to Tufts’ health portal.

Students who do not meet this requirement will be considered noncompliant and addressed individually by the university, while staff who are noncompliant may be subject to unpaid leave, suspension or other disciplinary action.

This Week In COVID-19: Tufts announces testingout policy

by Flora Meng and Alex Viveros Deputy News Editor and Science Editor

COVID-19 cases have declined on the Medford/Somerville campus after reaching their all-time high two weeks ago. The university reported 12 new cases on Friday and 148 in the week before.

Still, the average number of positive COVID-19 cases on the Medford/Somerville campus has been relatively stagnant, going up around 14% over the past week.

An average of 21 students per day tested positive in the week before Monday, similar to numbers recorded before the mid-February surge.

The university reported a total of eight individuals in isolation

tuftsdaily.com

Features

Tufts’ undergraduate enrollment expands, Part 1: A bigger Tufts is the new normal

by Mark Choi

Monday, March 7, 2022

Julia Appel In Pursuit of Eggcellence

Trial Two: The Great Poaching

T

Features Editor

While Tufts University has been a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference since 1971, it may now be a misnomer to call Tufts a “small college.” With over 6,500 undergraduates at the beginning of the 2021–22 school year, including part-time and full-time students, Tufts’ undergraduate enrollment is by far the largest in the NESCAC and is currently larger than that of Johns Hopkins, Princeton and Yale, some of the nation’s best- known research universities.

Most notably, the fall 2021 undergraduate enrollment for full-time students represents a 25.3% increase from the fall 2015 term, as the university has undergone a net increase of more than 1,300 students in the past six years. With a size of 1,807 students, the Class of 2025 was also the largest incoming class in the university’s history, leading many to question how many more students Tufts can realistically accommodate in the future.

Many students, in fact, have expressed how the university’s ever-increasing enrollment has negatively impacted their undergraduate experience, from longer lines in the dining halls to crowded libraries and difficult course registrations. Some firstyears even had difficulties registering for Expository Writing, one of the university’s graduation requirements that students typically complete during their first year.

Class of 2025 TCU Senator Natalie Rossinow shared some of the challenges that her class has had to navigate, many of which are traceable to this year’s overenrollment.

“In the beginning of last semester … I remember waiting in line for Dewick outside and [the line] was wrapped around [the building] and then we’re like … maybe we go to Carm for dinner and we waited in line at Carm for an hour,” Rossinow said.

“Sometimes we would get there to get our food and the food would run out, and then they would have to make more food.”

Rossinow also noted that it was challenging for some of her friends who could not register for the courses that they are required to take.

“Especially for the classes that they’re requiring us to take, like English [1 or 2] … There’s not enough English 1 classes — that doesn’t really make sense,” Rossinow said. “Or with English 2, same thing, [Tufts requires] us to take it and there’s not enough classes … What do you want us to do about that?”

Rabiya Ismail, a senior, added that the Medford/Somerville campus has felt more crowded lately than in previous years.

“I work at the Campus Center, and I have definitely noticed an influx in people asking for rooms, just … how many people are in the Campus Center daily … It’s way busier than it has been, especially [since] last year,” Ismail said. “Oftentimes, there’s not a place for students to study, so if they come in [to the Campus Center] and ask for a room, I have to say that ‘Oh, all the rooms are full’ … and then they might say, ‘Well I can’t find a room elsewhere, Tisch has all been booked.’”

Overall, Ismail expressed her concern that increasing the size of the student body would dilute the university’s resources, such as the student body’s access to Counseling and Mental Health Services.

According to university administration,

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MIRIAM VODOSEK / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts’ undergraduate enrollment has risen by over 25% in the past seven years. however, Tufts plans on maintaining the current number of students and even adding more full-time undergraduates in the foreseeable future.

Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, explained in an email to the Daily that the university is “halfway through a multi-year enrollment growth management plan” that will “level off with an undergraduate student body of approximately 6,600 full-time students” by 2026.

For context, in fall 2021, there were 6,509 full-time undergraduate students.

Collins explained how the undergraduate expansion is in line with the university’s long-term interest and strategic plans.

“Growth in enrollment is a sign of the university’s status and strength and is the result of a long-term strategy that will put a Tufts education within reach of more students, solidify the financial footing of our undergraduate schools and programs and provide for the kinds of facilities needed to support world-class teaching and research,” Collins wrote.

Echoing Collins’ sentiments, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James Glaser elaborated on the salience of increasing undergraduate enrollment.

“The larger base of students gives us the ability to do bigger and better things and to have better facilities, to have a larger faculty,” Glaser said. “And, you know, we’re an ambitious place. We are not just standing still.”

While highlighting the potential benefits of increasing undergraduate enrollment, Collins also acknowledged that this year’s overenrollment has brought about many unforeseen logistical challenges to the university administration’s strategic plans.

“Due to faster than anticipated enrollment this year that was largely the result of extraordinary forces related to the pandemic, we have reached some of our targets ahead of schedule,” Collins wrote. “We anticipate that enrollment growth will slow during the remaining years of the plan, enabling related priorities to catch up over the next couple of years.”

Collins attributed this year’s spike in undergraduate enrollment to a host of complicating factors.

“The university adopted a test-optional admissions process in response to pandemic restrictions, which increased applications and made our yield models less predictable,” Collins wrote. “At the same time, far fewer students than typical opted to study abroad and to take leaves this year, further driving up enrollment. This year, leaves are at their lowest level in at least the last 8 years.”

On top of that, Glaser discussed some of the university’s institutional efforts to meet the new demands from overenrollment, which have been compounded by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a full-need institution, we’re … committed to changing aid packages if there’s a change in a student’s demonstrated need,” Glaser said. “ We had to prepare for that, and that required going out and talking to our benefactors and people who care about the school and our students … [They certainly] came through for us.”

Even as the university continues to address this year’s over-enrollment, Max Miller, a senior and trustee representative for the TCU Senate, questioned whether the university’s overarching plan to increase its undergraduate enrollment to 6,600 full-time students by 2026 would impact campus culture. He explained that it was the university’s size that initially drew him to Tufts.

“A major consideration of mine coming to Tufts was the size. As far as I can remember, there are not that many schools that are 5,000 people,” Miller said. “It is either the NESCAC [schools] that are tiny and in the middle of nowhere … or it’s [a] big city school or [a] big state school. One of the things that made me want to come to Tufts was that Tufts seemed to ride that line.”

While Rossinow ultimately found the size of Tufts ideal and applied Early Decision I, she can also see how some might prefer a smaller college environment.

“I think we are … not shifting away from the liberal arts vibe because we still have that, but we are evolving,” Rossinow said. “And I think that that will attract some people, and it’ll also turn some people away.”

Moving forward, Glaser said that the challenge is to find the “right equilibrium” that will help Tufts solidify its position as a major research university while preserving the best aspects of the Tufts experience for its undergraduates.

“Our size does matter: we are the smallest big university or the biggest small university in the country. And that means that it’s a place where I think that students can expect that there will be personal attention, that they’ll know their faculty … but that there’s a cornucopia of opportunities that you get in a large place,” Glaser said.

“Our job [is] to find the right equilibrium between the number of students and the resources that are available. And … we are in the process of establishing that new equilibrium.”

he soft-boiled egg is a master of suspense. You’ve boiled your water, you’ve followed the demanding beeps of your phone’s alarm to perfection and finally you simply hold the egg in your hands (not really, because ‘ouch,’ ‘hot,’ etc.) and wonder. There is no way of knowing what lies beneath the surface, what lurks below the inscrutable face of the eggshell. To crack the shell is a leap of faith. But every faith can be tested, and even the most devoted have their breaking point. Today, I’m skipping the suspense.

This method can’t truly be said to produce a soft-boiled egg, but rather, is intended to meet the more general goal of having an egg in my ramen. To wit, instead of getting equipment involved, this lowfuss method involves nothing more than my staple, my tragically understocked favorite, vanished these many days from the shelves of Hodg — Jin Ramen, Mild.

Attempt #2 Setting the scene: It’s Thursday evening, and the post-Quiz Bowl hunger has set in. I’m accompanied tonight by a terrible John Grisham book. Yes, I hate John Grisham’s books. Yes, I’ve read almost all of them. Next question, please.

Methodology: Very quick and easy.

Boil the water in the electric kettle, pour into the ramen, add the spice packet and weird dehydrated vegetables, stir. I make a foolish attempt to crack the egg on the edge of the paper lid and fail miserably, forced to resort to a nearby mug. I make a mental note to wash the mug immediately. I crack the egg into the water, shut the lid and attempt to poach. The ramen cup says to wait four minutes. Considering that I cracked a completely raw egg into it, I wait for 10 before opening the lid with bated breath.

First impression: Hmmm.

Second impression: That’s not great.

Third impression: There is a raw egg in my ramen.

Fourth impression: To be fair, it is not completely raw. The whites have become slightly opaque. The yolk is raw though.

There’s no getting around it.

Fifth impression: I am out of ramen.

But I’m hungry. But I don’t have another ramen. But I’m hungry.

Conclusion: I just went ahead and stirred it in. I ate the raw egg ramen. I am still alive. This is why I buy the ridiculously-expensive-but-good-for-the-chickens eggs. The chicken spirits (or the auspices of the FDA) protected me from salmonella. Sometimes, life is fair.

For the record, I knew this was a bad idea. I just had to try it anyway. For science. I’m gonna go do another microwave egg.

Plan for next time: Electric kettle. This is a tried and true method, but also annoying and wasteful and a method that necessitates many trips to the bathroom sink to fill it with water and pour out water and whatever. I’m always worried I’m going to lock myself out of my room going in and out like that. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion it’s doing something weird to my kettle, like calcium buildup or something, even though I clean it assiduously after use. But that’s a worry for next time.

Julia Appel is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Julia can be reached at julia.appel634628@tufts.edu.

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

tuftsdaily.com

Monday, March 7, 2022

‘Touch Me:’ A review of ‘Spring Awakening’

by Blake Anderson Contributing Writer

Content warning: This article mentions abuse, sexual assault, abortion and suicide.

The Tufts Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ production of “Spring Awakening” (2006), directed by Barbara Wallace Grossman, opened on Friday. With the strong showing of the student-written musical “Almanac” (2021) last semester, audiences were excited to see what the department would do next.

“Spring Awakening” was originally conceived from Frank Wedekind’s 1981 play of the same name, and its translation into a stage musical happened in 2006.

Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s rock-based score beautifully captures the struggles and lives of the young people around whom the show is centered.

Adversaries of musical theater often default to saying, “I don’t know why these characters begin to sing.”

However, “Spring Awakening” is an exemplar of how libretto and score can fuse together in a cohesive and compelling narrative. A bildungsroman in its own right, the musical craftily and seamlessly invites audiences to think about youth tragedy and hardships.

With serious subject matters such as sexual abuse, suicide and teen pregnancy, any production of “Spring Awakening” requires careful attention and dedication to detail.

This production, which was performed in the Balch Arena Theater, occurs in a very intimate setting that lends itself well to the subject matter of the show. There are many

moments where the audience feels the emotional conviction of the performance due to physical proximity alone. This, combined with the wholeheartedness of the show’s ensemble, works well to deliver this emotional and heavy material. In particular, the Act I finale “I Believe” captivates the audience, who become surrounded by the intensity of the show’s midpoint climax.

Moreover, this production finds a remarkable strength in being an ensemble piece. Although it has a relatively small cast for a musical, the ensemble boasts no weaknesses. The vocal prowess of the show’s ensemble numbers, as in the case of Act II standout “Totally Fucked,” is spectacular. Similar praise is due for the ensemble’s performance of “Touch Me.” As the ensemble continues to shine with a delightfully full sound, the audience’s attention turns to sophomore soloist Ken Crossman. This is a standout moment in the show from an exceptionally gifted vocalist and performer. The ensemble also executes Amelia Estrada’s often breathtaking choreography with a keen dedication to making each move intentional.

Some performers in this production accept the challenges their roles require and exceed expectations — all while making it look effortless. In particular, Emma Downs’ Wendla, Jill Albertson’s Ilse and Thomas Gatzke’s Ernst are captivating. They display complex yet compelling goals and motivations for their respective characters. No bit of dialogue or line of singing is ever unconvincing. Naysayers of musicals ought to beware; they masterfully accept the challenge of

MEGAN SZOSTAK / THE TUFTS DAILY

Wendla (Emma Downs) is pictured during The Tufts Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ production of “Spring Awakening” (2006). justifying the inclusion of songs in musical theater. These performers also exhibit excellent vocal control throughout the show, allowing the show’s most vulnerable moments to get the sensitivity and weight that they need. Notably, Albertson performs “Blue Wind” and the scene that follows it with beautiful and honest care to her character.

The production design works well overall; however there are moments in the show where subtleties and beats seem to be muddled by technical elements.

Some sightlines are obstructed by the set’s large wooden pillars that cover portions of the stage. This blocks certain audience members

from seeing performers at times.

Additionally, some lighting cues feel out of place in conversational scenes. This feels as though attention is being called to the lighting design as opposed to the characters and the greater story of the show.

However, the show’s production design still gives audiences spectacular moments. The light plot lets silhouettes cast beautiful shadows and lets rock songs feel like a rock concert. Meanwhile, the set design remains subtle yet imaginative, successfully subduing the mind to imagine these settings in a provincial German town in the 1890s.

At the heart of every great musical is great music. Special credit is

due to the orchestra pit of “Spring Awakening.” Under the direction of Matt Torres and Stephanie Rifkin, the pit, which is not actually in a pit but is rather above the stage, captures all of the necessary emotional changes the score requires. From beautiful ballads to raging rock and back again, the pit eloquently executes each song with a diligence that audiences will come to expect of this production.

Overall, audiences who were lucky enough to snag tickets to the sold-out production are in for a beautiful, poignant and timely work of musical theater that showcases some of the best talents that Tufts has to offer.

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A r t s & P o p Cu l t u r e

Monday, March 7, 2022 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

Emma Chamberlain takes YouTube hiatus, reveals mental health struggles

by Ryan Fairfield

Ellie Lester and Sadie Leite The Art of Good Soup

Pho on the flo’

T

Staff Writer

Emma Chamberlain has been YouTube’s ‘it’ girl for the past four years since beginning her career on the platform at the age of 16. Chamberlain grew a large following for her honest, upbeat vlogs documenting a variety of different aspects of her life. From taking fans behind the scenes at major fashion events in the world, such as Louis Vuitton fashion shows and the Met Gala, to cooking vegan meals in her home kitchen, Chamberlain’s content has consistently been entertaining and engaging. After four years of uploading videos almost every week, Chamberlain has decided to take a break from YouTube.

Chamberlain has not published a video on her YouTube channel since Dec. 14, 2021. Many fans were concerned as to what caused this sudden halt in content.

Rather than publishing a YouTube video to discuss her lack of posting, like many popular YouTubers do when they decide to take a pause or end their channel, Chamberlain decided to address the questions and concerns about her YouTube career on her podcast, “Anything Goes,” (2020–), in an episode titled, “the truth about youtube.”

Many things prompted Chamberlain’s break from YouTube, the main cause being constant pressure, which started to take a toll on Chamberlain’s mental health.

“The pressure to be a weekly YouTuber, 365 days a year, is unrealistic, yet it’s the standard,” Chamberlain said in the podcast episode. “It is the standard that YouTubers hold themselves to but yet it is an impossible thing to keep up mentally.”

To cope with the burden of uploading weekly videos, many popular YouTubers have started to hire editors to edit their videos for them. Chamberlain stated that for a period of time, she was against hiring an editor but eventually caved due to her demanding workload. However, when Chamberlain stopped editing her own videos, she started to enjoy YouTube less, as she realized that part of her love of YouTube was editing her own videos and putting them together herself.

Feeling obligated to upload weekly, Chamberlain felt some of the content she was putting out was rushed and not up to the standard she holds herself to, which added to her reasoning to take a break from YouTube.

“I don’t ever want to put something out into the world that I’m not proud of,” Chamberlain said.

Additionally, Chamberlain stated in the podcast that there is a lack of privacy with YouTube. Chamberlain’s content is mostly vlogs that document moments in her daily life, from getting ready in the morning to shopping at Trader Joe’s. The issue with vlogs, according to Chamberlain, is you constantly have to be on camera and filming yourself.

Even when Chamberlain was having a

5

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Emma Chamberlain is pictured holding a Chamberlain Coffee mug. rough day, she said she felt she had to put on a happy face and film content for her subscribers, which meant her mental health often came second to her career. The lack of privacy and necessity of being on camera also opened the door to a lot of criticism, with people making negative comments about her appearance daily, further damaging Chamberlain’s mental health.

Since the start of her break from YouTube, Chamberlain has been enjoying time to herself and discovering what her life is like without YouTube.

“After stepping back from YouTube, I am in a better state mentally than I’ve been in the past four years,” Chamberlain said.

Although Chamberlain is taking time away from YouTube and focusing on herself, it does not mean she is not still busy with her work outside of YouTube.

Chamberlain posts weekly on her podcast show, “Anything Goes,” and is the founder of her own coffee company, Chamberlain Coffee.

Chamberlain stated that she does not feel pressure to post weekly on her podcast, unlike her YouTube channel.

“I can record my podcast at any time of the day, no matter what I look like, in the comfort of my bed, and nobody can see me,” Chamberlain said.

Chamberlain admitted she does miss filming content and posting on her channel, but she understands herself enough to know this break is necessary.

“I need to give myself at least a few months before I can revisit it and decide what I am going to do next with YouTube,” Chamberlain said.

YouTube is not something Chamberlain wants to abandon, as she appreciates and enjoys the creative freedom it allows for. However, Chamberlain wants to make personal changes to how she approaches YouTube.

“I never see myself leaving YouTube for good, but I definitely see myself leaving the way I used to do YouTube,” Chamberlain said.

his week, we gorgeous, gorgeous girls had a dilemma. We had a lot of balls to juggle: a midterm, two meetings, three bottles of liquid, shackles, a formal to attend and some soup to slurp. We were overwhelmed. We spend a lot of our time overwhelmed.

What was our solution? Have someone else get the soup for us, obvi. Now, you may be wondering how we managed to finance this delivery, after blowing our money on a fist-sized bowl of French onion soup and very pretty, very tight formal dresses. We didn’t. Ellie’s mom did. She believes in The Art of Good Soup, so she funded us. Leave it to a mom to tell you that everything you make is really, really good when it sometimes really, really isn’t.

Maybe we’re just being anxious, telling you that this column isn’t all that great.

And insecure, and self-deprecating. This column sucks — don’t read any further. Go back to Tinder or Sidechat.

The soup, like our three bottles of liquid, came in a brown paper bag. It did not contain utensils, even though we requested utensils. When you don’t get utensils, you end up eating fistfuls of fried rice with your hands and dancing on picnic tables and throwing it at strangers and smelling like soy sauce when you wake up. Suffice to say, we really wanted some utensils.

Please, Uber Eats. Give. Us. Utensils.

Not that it matters. Sadie stole some forks from Hodg last Wednesday. It should also be noted that she wanted to steal the mattress from The Mods, but it was too large.

Our order from Pho n’ Rice arrived, and we were thrilled. We ate on the floor because tables are for dancing and red Solo Cups.

Ellie ordered the pho ga with chicken, and Sadie ordered the pho Thai with beef.

We considered trying the vegetarian, but we love meat in our mouths.

We said hello to the scallions once again. We were confused why they were following us and concerned that they might want something serious; we weren’t ready to commit to just one vegetable.

Still, they didn’t pressure us. They only added to the wonderful saltiness of the broth. We brought the bowls up to our faces, because it was difficult to go down.

We still went to town, though. We alternated between broth and noodles, using our tongues to have some fun.

We didn’t reach bowl-bottom tonight.

Vibes were low, and we weren’t in the mood. Ellie tried to pretend that she enjoyed the noodles, but Sadie could tell she was faking it. Sadie and Ellie are both great liars with plenty of practice.

It was still an enjoyable experience.

It left us tingling and ready to dance.

We rate this soup 9.696 spoons. Shoutout Ellie’s mom. Shoutout Oprah. Shoutout the Dalai Lama. Spread the love, spread the soup. Peace.

Ellie Lester is a sophomore studying English. Ellie can be reached at eliana.lester@tufts.edu. Sadie Leite is a sophomore studying English. Sadie can be reached at sadie.leite@tufts.edu.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Monday, March 7, 2022

F& G F u n & G a m e s F u n & G a m es

SUDOKU

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Maddy, ready to PDF: “Is someone sending a Zoom?”

Alex: “No, that’s on you. That’s entirely on you.”

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Pisces (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If creativity seems blocked or distracted, focus on solving obvious practical problems. Reinforce basic structures.

Take spontaneous action to advance a dreamy possibility.

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

Difficulty Level: Waiting for content to come in.

Friday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

tuftsdaily.com

Opinion OP-ED

The Class of 2021 deserves a real graduation

by Chris Duyos

I woke up on May 23, 2021, ready to graduate. After donning a suit, cap and gown, I walked downstairs to find my housemates in their pajamas.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” I asked.

“Because it’s not a real graduation,” one of my housemates replied.

He was right. A day we had anticipated for years had been reduced to a series of prerecorded videos. Instead of accepting our diplomas from our favorite professors on the Academic Quad, I watched myself graduate on YouTube, projected onto the drab, beige wall of my living room.

Don’t get me wrong: I had, and still do have, much to be grateful for. I was lucky enough to be with my family, take pictures in front of Jumbo and have a meal with my close friends that evening. However, Tufts’ university-wide commencement was entirely virtual, with the entire campus shut down. Seniors who lived on campus had to either crash on a friend’s couch or head back home for graduation day. While we were free to walk around campus, it was deserted and felt far from welcoming. With no celebratory events for students or their loved ones during our final weekend of college, it felt far from a real graduation.

The theme of the Class of 2021’s senior year was one of hardship, boredom and frustration. The constant specter of the pandemic and banishment to The Mods loomed over our heads. In-person classes were rare, and when winter arrived, seeing friends consisted of brief walks in the snow and praying for a 40-degree day to meet on Prez Lawn.

It was ‘college’ in name only. A university’s official purpose is to provide an education for its students. Learning over Zoom may have been somewhat educational, but it did not replace passionate debates in the classroom, studying with friends in the library or learning the choreography of a TDC dance. Zoom was no substitute for the experiences that make college worth it.

Tufts’ mission statement articulates the university’s commitment to “providing transformative experiences for students,” yet our senior year was defined by a lack of transformative experiences; one of the main university-sanctioned experiences of senior year was briefly catching up with old friends in the COVID-19 testing line.

I am not angry with Tufts for abiding

by COVID-19 guidelines and protecting its students. But the Class of 2021 was subscribing to — and, in many cases, paying for — a false promise. A real, in-person graduation welcoming our class and our loved ones back to campus and celebrating the achievements of our four years as Jumbos would be an incredibly meaningful gesture to make up for a lost year.

The university administration may argue that we received an in-person graduation when we had our departmental ceremonies in mid-April, weeks before the end of the school year. In reality, these were no replacement for a real graduation. We listened to a five-minute-long speech, walked across a stage with only a third of the students from my major present and didn’t even receive a diploma. There were technical difficulties, limited staff and a complete lack of presence from the Tufts administration, President Anthony Monaco included. After these services, we trudged home in our caps and gowns to prepare for finals and our last two weeks of school.

I was glad to hear that the Class of 2020 will receive a graduation. After all, their senior year — and college as they knew it — ended over the course of mere days in March. While their senior year was suddenly cut off, the Class of 2021 experienced a slow burn, a nonexistent year drawn out by isolation, surveillance, sadness and pessimism.

I can’t help but compare our grade’s experiences with those of neighboring universities.

Northeastern students got to walk across a stage at a COVID-19-safe ceremony at Fenway Park. Alumni from Harvard and MIT will be returning to their alma maters this May to receive a makeup in-person graduation. Why won’t Tufts do the same for its Class of 2021?

We are the only class in Tufts’ recent history to miss out on an entire senior year, not just a graduation ceremony.

Dinners with President Monaco, Senior Awards ceremonies, the coveted tradition of senior bar nights, in-person Senior Week and above all, the feeling of communal celebration with once-strangersturned-lifelong-friends — these were just some of the things our grade never had the chance to enjoy.

I acknowledge that the administration made efforts to improve our experience. I, for one, will never turn down a wine tasting or a dumpling cooking class, virtual or not. While these events were fun, they are not substitutes for an in-person celebration of everything we achieved during our time on the hill. If Tufts put more effort into providing its Class of 2021 with some of the experiences we missed out on, it would likely encourage more engagement, participation and donations from alumni in the Tufts community.

Graduating from college is a monumental life achievement, a memory to be treasured forever and revisited constantly. But our grade does not look back on our faux graduation at all. The people I’ve spoken with tell me the same thing: They have tried to forget and move on. They focus on the positive aspects of the end of college by and large, but never do they mention our graduation with the nostalgia it deserves. It is too sad to consider what could have been.

The Class of 2021 made the most of our time at Tufts. We agonized for hours in the library; we ran pre-orientation programs; we engaged with our community; we participated in classes, both virtual and in person.

At the very least, we deserve an in-person goodbye. We deserve better than ending our time at Tufts by watching a prerecorded speech in our living rooms. The Tufts administration can and should give us an in-person graduation.

Chris Duyos is a Tufts University alum from the Class of 2021. Chris can be reached at chrisduyos@gmail.com.

7 Monday, March 7, 2022

Ethan Jaskowiak Ethics of the Environment

Country clubs, golf and the climate crisis

Country clubs have long been criticized for their elitism and exclusivity; in light of our planet’s environmental crisis, I would argue that they are also damningly wasteful, both in terms of resources consumed and environmental impact.

While they are green, golf courses are not environmentally friendly, requiring intense amounts of manicuring at a great ecological cost to surrounding land. They use large amounts of water, depleting our most valuable resource at a time when water is already becoming scarcer by the day. The 30 golf courses around Salt Lake City use around nine million gallons of water daily despite the state’s water crisis. A typical golf course in Thailand is estimated to use as much water as 60,000 villagers, an unconscionable waste just for the relaxation of the elite.

Water overuse is not their only sin: their overuse of pesticides leads to contamination of water supplies, wreaking havoc on environmental systems. Even golf balls themselves are damaging, sometimes leaking toxic chemicals when submerged in water. One California teen retrieved around 50,000 golf balls from the ocean, a result of five nearby golf courses.

In addition, country clubs occupy vast amounts of land; it is estimated that golf courses — which are often housed at country clubs — occupy well over two million acres in the U.S. alone. These spaces could, instead, be used for more productive purposes like nature preserves, low-income housing or public-use green spaces.

Other environmentally polluting activities like agricultural use of fertilizer and pesticides, carbon emissions to fuel the power grid and salting the roads in winter are all damaging to the ecosystem, yet the argument can be made that they benefit the public good in ways that country clubs do not. This is the crux of the immorality of country clubs: they create too much of an environmental impact to be hoarded by a select few. Pollution is something that is felt by all, regardless of whether or not one participated in its emission. It is in the best interest, of both humanity and of the environment, to limit pollution to instances where other factors of public well-being demand the use of damaging strategies rather than flagrantly wasting resources for the entertainment of an elite few.

This raises the question of where the problem lies: country clubs or golf itself?

While it is indisputable that golf has a negative impact on the environment, it is also the unfortunate reality that we may not be able to expect a decline in the continuation of this recreational practice.

However, the environmental impacts can be more realistically mitigated by reducing the number of courses and forcing those that remain to be open to the public to significantly change how country clubs are run. Golf is too environmentally damaging for its existence to be justified by restricting its benefits to only be enjoyed by the elite. If we are all going to pay the price for golf’s wastefulness (as is the nature of the climate crisis), then we must all be able to enjoy it.

Ethan Jaskowiak is a senior studying biology. Ethan can be reached at ethan.jaskowiak@tufts.edu.

SPORTS

8 Monday, March 7, 2022

tuftsdaily.com

Women’s basketball advances to Sweet Sixteen

by Keila McCabe Sports Editor

Tufts women’s basketball beat Clarks Summit and DeSales this weekend to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

Despite losing to Amherst in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament, the team received a bid and high seeding for the NCAA tournament, allowing for a Jumbo home court advantage in Cousens Gym. On Friday night, the Jumbos confidently defeated the Clarks Summit Defenders 84–54. To finish off the weekend, they beat the DeSales Bulldogs 58–47.

Against the Defenders, the Jumbos came out and secured an early and large lead, ending the quarter ahead 22–7. A combination of strong defense and good ball movement on offense allowed for a successful quarter that would dictate the remainder of the contest. The lead was clearly not going anywhere as Tufts continued to make stops on defense and shoot well from the field and beyond the arc.

Given the strong hold on the game, every healthy player on the Jumbos roster entered the game. The Tufts bench ended up contributing 32 points to the total score.

Senior guard Molly Ryan said the Jumbos went into their first NCAA with focus.

“At this point, it’s the NCAA tournament, so every moment counts,” Ryan said. “[You] win, you go on; you lose, you go home.

So, we came out very, very strong.

[There was] a lot of energy, especially on the defensive end.”

Sophomore guard Callie O’Brien put up an impressive 15 points and six assists. Graduate student guard Erin Poindexter McHan tied O’Brien’s 15 points, and sophomore forward Maggie Russell was right behind with 14 points. Senior forward Sofia Rosa led the Jumbos in rebounds, securing 10 for the night.

In the second round against DeSales, Tufts had a bit more competition from its opponent.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 14–14. Both teams moved the ball well and found shots inside the paint.

Defensively, both teams were aggressive and focused, exchanging difficult stops. As the game progressed, momentum started favoring Tufts due to strong defense and offensive efforts by Ryan and Russell. However, generally the Jumbos were not as offensively productive as they typically are.

O’Brien said focused defense made up for that offensive deficiency.

“We really just focused on one play at a time,” O’Brien said. “On defense, we, again, were focusing

MINA TERZIOGLU / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts women’s basketball team plays against Clarks Summit in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Cousens Gym on March 4. on our intensity and just playing as a unit on defense, and I think we did a great job of that. … There were some points where we also weren’t scoring as much as we usually do, but we were able to just get stop after stop on defense which allowed us to keep the lead.”

Russell led the team statistically, finishing with 20 points and 13 rebounds for the night. Ryan was not far behind with 14 points.

Heading into the Sweet Sixteen, the Jumbos are facing a worthy adversary in the Amherst Mammoths. Tufts fell to Amherst once in the regular season and again in the NESCAC tournament. Amherst finished as runner-up to the Bates Bobcats, but the Mammoths will look to extend their solid season and go deep in the NCAA playoffs. The game will be at Amherst on Friday.

O’Brien said the team is excited to get another crack at Amherst.

“We’re pumped up,” O’Brien said. “Honestly, we were watching their game to get here too, and it was a close one. I honestly think we were all rooting for them because we want to go through them, and I think that’s the best way to do it. So we’re excited.”

How soccer has responded to the Russia-Ukraine War

by Bharat Singh

Assistant Sports Editor

On Feb. 24, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine after weeks of speculation regarding military buildup across the border. Since then, clouds of smoke have circled above the major cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv as airstrikes continue inflicting both military and civilian casualties. In response to the attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba reminded the world that the last time its capital suffered such a catastrophe was in 1941 against Nazi Germany. The tremors of Russia’s actions have been felt across the globe, and soccer has responded firmly.

Four years ago, FIFA president Gianni Infantino stood

alongside Vladimir Putin during the final trophy presentation of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Spartak Moscow, a major club that was due to play its last 16 tie against RB Leipzig in the Europa League later this month, has been automatically eliminated.

Similarly, UEFA has indefinitely suspended all Russian national and club teams from competition. The Russian Football Union is appealing this suspension, and the status of all future fixtures is up in the air.

On the commercial side, UEFA has ended its 10-year sponsorship deal with Gazprom, a Russian majority-owned energy firm; the deal was worth around 40 million euros per year. Moreover, UEFA has stripped Russia of its hosting

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Russian national soccer team is pictured in 2018.

rights for the 2022 Champions League Final, relocating the coveted event from the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg to the Stade de France in Paris.

Football’s backlash has also been targeted at Russian billionaires, businesses and oligarchs with strong political ties to Putin. Manchester United has suspended its 10-year 30 million- partnership with Aeroflot, the Russian airline that served as the club’s official carrier since 2013. In addition, Everton F.C. has terminated its sponsorship deals with USM, Megafon and Yota, all Russian companies. USM, primarily owned

by Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, was in a five-year deal worth 12 million pounds per year to sponsor the club’s training ground and had also purchased first naming rights for its new stadium. Megafon, a Russian telecom company that sponsors Everton Women, is largely owned by Usmanov and has also been removed from all kit and stadium branding.

Club owner Farhad Moshiri has cut ties with Usmanov following heavy EU sanctions and pressure from U.K. Labour Member of Parliament Chris Bryant. In a recent game, Manchester City and Everton, led by Ukrainian players Oleksander Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko, exhibited anti-war sentiments with

each team walking out with Ukrainian flags while banners of blue and yellow emerged from the crowds. The emotion was palpable as the cameras panned across the tearful duo before kickoff.

One of football’s most notable owners is Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich. The Russian bought the club in 2003 and has since invested over 1.5 billion pounds.

Abramovich’s investment has driven Chelsea to European glory and established its status as a European giant, but Abramovich now says that he intends to sell the team. Following the invasion, Abramovich has been considered as one of several oligarchs that the U.K. government might target with sanctions. If his assets are frozen, selling the club would be impossible. In response, Abramovich declared that he would be passing “stewardship and care” of Chelsea over to its foundation. The billionaire, who made his fortune by selling assets for profit after the collapse of the Soviet Union, values Chelsea at three billion pounds and has promised that the net proceeds will go to victims of the war.

Elsewhere in Europe, clubs and players have shown great solidarity with Ukraine. Bayern Munich’s talisman and captain Robert Lewandowski wore a blue and yellow armband during a 1–0 victory over Frankfurt.

Bayern players wore black armbands to pay tribute to the victims of Ukraine as the electronic screens in the stadium read “Stop it, Putin!” All throughout Germany’s Bundesliga, a minute of silence was held before kickoff. After scoring against Brighton, Aston Villa player Matty Cash displayed his undershirt with a message urging his Polish teammate Tomasz Kedziora to remain strong as he and his family remained stranded in Kyiv.

In Spain, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad players wore shirts with the message “Todos con Ucrania” as both sides posed for a combined photo in the Santiago Bernabéu. Fans rallied around Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who is Ukrainian, as a mosaic of yellow and blue cards was formed behind the main stand. Club legend and current Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo took to Instagram to show his support for Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of creating a peaceful world for future generations.

While much of the sport stands together against Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine, many players and teams have also remained silent. Even so, this shows the sport’s special ability to unite people in times of crisis.